Joshua 18-19
“The land was subdued before them,” all, therefore, that Israel had to do, was to dwell in it, but like the slothful man who roasteth not that which he took in hunting (Prov. 12:2727The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious. (Proverbs 12:27)), they lacked the vigor to make thoroughly theirs what they had conquered. In this condition, “Joshua said unto the children of Israel, how long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you?” Warnings as to the consequences of their slackness were subsequently sent, but never again such an exhortation.
Although they were in the enjoyment of peace, yet they were ignorant of large districts of God’s promised land which waited distribution among them, for when Joshua bade the men “go through the land, and describe it,” only two and a half tribes had their inheritance within the land of Canaan, and seven tribes remained without any possession. “The men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.”
Israel now knew exactly what belonged to them, for the unpossessed land was minutely set out, and the districts so described were divided among the tribes at Shiloh; but it is one thing to know our portion, another to dwell in it, and even in Israel’s palmiest days – the time of Solomon – the land was not entirely occupied.
If we are “slack to go to possess” our spiritual inheritance, either we are ignorant of what it is, or we are satisfied with things about us. As the inheritance unfolds before the believer, his mind becomes occupied with it; by seeking the things which are above, he grows into deeper acquaintance with them, and richer joy in them. A heart satisfied with surrounding things is the great obstruction to spiritual progress, but by going on our hearts become enlarged, by following the Lord we know Him. It is impossible “to go to possess” with a divided heart. “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Tim. 2:44No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2 Timothy 2:4)).
Quiet yet persistent energy of soul is that to which the Christian should address himself. Every day that Israel allowed the enemy to continue in his strongholds, or to return from his hiding-places and re-establish himself in the land, was a day lost; and each such day rendered more difficult the “going to possess” which was incumbent upon them. And while every step in true devotedness to God is real positive gain, every day spent in spiritual idleness is a fresh difficulty to be overcome. There is a deep need for cultivating an habitual earnestness, a growth of that spirit which turns to heavenly things without effort. We see those whom we feel to be devoted to God, whom we recognize as His mighty men of valor, living in the atmosphere of His presence, and acting in the vigor of His Spirit. But they did not attain their spiritual strength in a moment. Were not the young men who had overcome the wicked one once “babes”? (1 John 2). Did they learn to “endure hardness as good soldiers of Christ,” without training? Paul tells us that he kept under his body and brought it into subjection (1 Cor. 9:26-2726I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (1 Corinthians 9:26‑27)), and we can see even in him greater spiritual strength towards the end of his course than at the beginning.
Have we in any way by the grace of God’s Spirit conquered the proneness there is in us to occupy ourselves with the things that surround us, that idleness of the soul which is “slack to go to possess”? Alas! how many a Christian, even while knowing that there are described in God’s counsels great and glorious things, contents himself with unreality of soul, is satisfied with passing much of his life without truly living in the power of the blessings wherewith he is blessed in the heavenly places in Christ. How hard it is to so master the spirit as unweariedly “to go to possess.” The inertness of our nature, its utter ineptitude in divine things, its contrariety of tastes and desires, its positive hatred to them, besides the exterior world which continually pours its attractions at the gates of our senses, are used by the adversary to dwarf our growth, “in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” and all conduce to our “slackness.” As a soldier may invigorate his companions so may the Christian help his comrades; and we are told to exhort one another daily, and so much the more as we see the day approaching. May none be content with the assurance “all things are yours,” but rise up in the energy of God’s Spirit to the present dwelling in their power. “How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you?”
There is all the difference between possessing and knowing, that there was between Israel’s hearing the cities of their inheritance read at Shiloh, and dwelling in them. Possessing is dwelling in the power of what we know. It is practically driving out the enemy. The purpose to possess must lead to conflict. We see this in the example of Paul the apostle, a man determined to know nothing among men but Christ and Him crucified; it was thus he faced the enemy who was leading captive the Galatian Christians. Again we see him face to face with the foe at Colosse; we hear of him solitary in Asia for Christ’s sake, yet nothing is allowed to move him. Possessing is essentially practical, and necessarily involves diligence of heart. In one sense we resemble Israel, who had a larger extent of territory given them than they dwelt in, and, indeed, the more fully we realize our heavenly portion the more we feel how little of it we practically make ours.
We speak of Israel’s possessing their land flowing with milk and honey, but that land gives a feeble idea of the heavenly places and spiritual abundance. The Canaanitish foes resemble the Christian’s spiritual enemies only in measure. Signs and symbols are insufficient to convey the reality of spiritual things to the mind; language fails to express the deep feelings of the heart: it is the Spirit only who searcheth the deep things of God, and that Spirit only who reveals them to us (1 Cor. 2:1010But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10)).
The land having been made over to Israel and divided to each tribe according to the order the Lord saw well, the people “gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them,” and thus ended the apportioning of the inheritance.